Recurrence after Treatment of Cervical Cancer
Recurrent
cancer is when cancer cells are detected following the initial
treatment with
surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Treatment options
for
recurrent cancer varies depending on the previous treatment, where the
recurrence is located, and the overall condition of the
patient.
Recurrence
can be either localized or metastatic. Localized means the
cancer cells
are confined to the pelvic organs near the cervix. Metastatic
means the
cancer cells have spread throughout the blood and lymphatic system to
other
organs in the body. There are three options used to treat the
recurrence
of cervical cancer - pelvic exenteration, radiation therapy,
and
chemotherapy. Recurrent cancer can be eliminated in
approximately 60% of
the affected patients.
If
the cancer has not moved beyond the cervix, then a radical hysterectomy
is
appropriate treatment. Sometimes, small cancer cells can
spread beyond the
cervix. This is usually determined by examining the under a
microscope. This situation occurs more frequently with large
stage IB or
stage II cervical cancer.
A
small amount of cancer recurrence can be treated with radiation therapy
if it
has not been performed before. Patients with prior radiation
therapy may
be able to undergo a pelvic exenteration which is a surgical procedure
that
removes the cancer and pelvic organs. This is only done if
cancer cells
are not detected anywhere else in the body. Approximately
one-third of
recurrent cancer patients will survive cancer free five years after
treatment.
Cancer
cells that have spread outside the pelvic area and were not removed by
surgery are difficult to detect. This type of recurrent cancer
is called
micrometastases.
Some
patients can experience a recurrence of cervical cancer after radiation
therapy. Once a patient has received prior treatment of
radiation therapy,
additional radiation therapy cannot be safely administered to the same
area. These patients can also undergo a pelvic exenteration as
long as the
cancer has not spread elsewhere in the body. Approximately
one-third of
recurrent cancer patients will survive cancer free five years after
treatment.
Cancer
cells that have spread to other areas of the body are difficult to
treat. Historically, doctors consider patients with metastatic
cervical
cancer as incurable. Chemotherapy can be offered for the
purpose of
prolonging their lives but most patients are being managed for pain and
bleeding.
No
single chemotherapy approach can improve survivability in patients with
metastatic cancer. Some medications can produce shrinkage of
15-25%. Many of these medications produce numerous side
effects. Unfortunately, they are only effective for a few
months and then
the cancer begins to grow again.
The
chances of recurrence of cervical cancer are drastically reduced if
detected
early with a Pap smear or by visual detection. Cancer detected
in the
early stages can easily be treated and managed. A healthy
lifestyle can
help speed the recovery and reduce the likelihood of recurrence by not
smoking,
avoiding excess alcohol, exercising and choosing a low-fat high-fiber
diet.
Resources/Links:
Curing advancer cervical cancer (Cancer research UK)
This page was last updated:
April 22, 2006
It is not the intention of Cervicalcancer.org to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information to better understand their health and their diagnosed disorders. Specific medical advice will not be provided, and Cervicalcancer.org urges you to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.